Oral Antibiotic
Efficacy
54%
Based on All Available Studies
Strength of Evidence
Note: Should never be used on its own and for a maximum of 3 months.
Oral Antibiotic
Acne.org’s Real World Take
Antibiotics should be used for a maximum of 3 months, provide only moderate benefit and only to some people, and may lead to side effects and strains of resistant bacteria. Studies do show they can reduce severe acne in the short term, but approach with caution and stay your own advocate.
Oral Antibiotic
How to Get It
Have a dermatologist? Make an appointment to get this medication. Don't have a dermatologist? See The American Academy of Dermatology Physician Database to find one.
Used Minocycline? Rate It:
Choose from 1 to 5 stars
October 27, 2011
Cons:
Expensive if you don't have insurance
Hard to schedule diet around
I was prescribed Minocycline 100mg once a day to use with Retin-A .05%. I was very hesitant to start taking this medication at first because of all of the negative reviews on this website that referenced side-effects. I also didn't want to take this medication because it made me feel worse about my acne, that i had passed a certain point and was no longer controllable. However, taking this medication was probably one of the best decisions i've made for my acne. The first couple weeks i saw small improvements; smaller cysts and breakouts not lasting long. After about a month my breakouts slowed considerably. Now four months in i break out maybe once a week, very minimally. This medication definitely helped my skin to heal from the consistent breakouts i faced in my freshman year of college. I take this medication around the same time each day, and use it with Retin A .05% and Cetaphil. Cetaphil is a perfect face wash to use with retin a as its very gentle, and Minocycline helps to minimize breakouts so my hyper pigmentation could begin to fade. All in all i highly recommend this medication. I've never felt nauseous or sick, or suffered any side-effects with this medication. Just make sure you drink a full glass of water when taking it. Also for guys, its a little tough taking this medication while trying to bulk up because you really aren't supposed to eat within a three hour window. And its effectiveness is limited if its ingested with calcium, so milk is out of the question two hours before and after taking this pill. Finally, as far as drinking alcohol while on this medication. My pharmacist said its alright to drink, just not in excess. Being in college this was a little difficult to fathom, but as for me, i'll go out on the weekends and drink and not have any problems as far as its reaction with the medication. Keep in mind though it might help to make you get drunk a little faster, thats all though. Good Luck
October 15, 2011
Pros:
cleared up cystic acne
Cons:
cystic acne came back worse after I stopped taking minocycline
skin breaks out more now
I used to get 1 pimple (cystic acne) a month. Sometimes it scarred which is why I went to a dermatologist. I took the medication for 3 months. I did not get a single cystic zit until I stopped. After I was off Minocycline, I started get 4-5 cystic acne and then I started breaking out in regular zits too! I have never had a problem with regular zits! I went back to my dermatologist and he prescribed more mino. I was hesitant to take it again but the cystic acne was getting worse and the regular zits were multiplying so I gave in and took it for a month. It didn't work at all the second time around. As a matter of fact, my skin has gotten worse! I am living a nightmare now! My skin is terrible. It has never been this bad! EVER! I am so depressed because of this mess on my face. Please do not take this junk! It works the first time but once you stop taking it, it comes back worse! And when you get back on it, it doesn't work at all! At least that has been my experience.
October 13, 2011
Pros:
None
Cons:
My acne bacame worst
Headaches
Feeling sick if not taken with lots of food
It did not help my acne at all, even made it worst.
October 5, 2011
Product used: Solodyn (Oral Antibiotic)
Pros:
is fairly inexpensive only if your doctor has coupons or a discount card.
Cons:
doesn't seem to work. causes break outs in areas that were previously clear.
i went to a dermatologist for some minor back breakouts that i wanted to clear up before my wedding. i have been on this medication for 6 weeks. my face is completely broken out. i have little bumps all over my forehead. my back is somewhat better but now the breakouts seem to have moved onto my chest. i have never had problems with my face before and my chest was always clearer than my back. even if the breakouts are due to wedding stress, shouldn't an oral medicine that is supposed to combat breakouts from the inside out still work? the doctor's solution to the new breakouts was to use a prescription body wash and face wash. now i find out that i need to be weaned off the meds or the breakouts could return, and return worse. fabulous. maybe i should have just started with the wash.
October 5, 2011
Pros:
- cysts were slightly less severe
Cons:
- gastrointestinal issues during AND after treatment...not pleasant
- constant headaches!! basically daily while taking it
- barely helped my acne so it wasn't worth it
- took 3 months to see results at all
- improvement of acne only lasted 3 months and then these effects stopped even though i was still taking it.
used this for just over a year in combination with Differin. my acne was never completely cleared up in that time. i had a bad initial break out and did not see any results for about 3 months. when i did see results, there was only a slight improvement in my acne; my pimples became smaller, less inflamed and less painful. i WAS still breaking out constantly. i had these results for about 3 months and after this period, my cystic acne went back to being just as bad as it was before beginning treatment. i stopped taking the Mino eventually when i realized my skin was back to it's prior condition. i regret taking it at all, because i suffered from gastrointestinal issues for the entire time i was taking it. i have now been off of it for about 3 months and these symptoms are persisting. i get horrible stomach cramps and gas pains frequently, i have to watch what i eat to avoid upsetting my stomach even more, and there are some other unfortunate effects i won't mention.... antibiotics do mess with the bacterial balance in your GI tract which tends to lead to these problems. after taking Mino for over a year i fear these effects may be permanent since they have persisted after I stopped taking it. i also experienced frequent headaches while taking it...i would get one practically EVERY DAY. it causes increased pressure to the head that results in headaches as well as some dizziness. these constant headaches disappeared as soon as i stopped taking it. Mino can also cause other side effects like liver damage and even lupus, which i am lucky to have not experienced. bottom line: stay away. the very slight improvement of your acne is not worth it.
September 26, 2011
Product used: Solodyn (Oral Antibiotic)
Pros:
Gets rid of cystic acne
Cons:
Still some break-outs
This product has worked well with me. Other than oiliness, my main issue are cysts. If you have the same problem, then Solodyn will most likely benefit you. Just don't set your expectations too high; you will still have little blemishes here and there, so you have to proceed with other meds (topical creams, face washes). However, I had to stop taking it because I recently went on birthcontrol (Ortho-Tri Cylen) Solodyn will counteract with birthcontrol, thus you increase your chances of becoming pregnant. All in all, great product!
September 22, 2011
Pros:
Fewer pimples that are A LOT smaller and less painful
Cons:
Had extremely bad period cramps a couple days after I started taking it
My doctor prescribed me this two months ago to use with a 0.05% tretinoin cream. My acne has cleared up a lot! It took a while, but I am finally seeing results. I have a couple pimples right now, but they are dried up and fading more each day. I mostly have a lot of red spots where there were pimples before.
The thing I love about this is that the pimples that I do get are small and not super painful like before! They go away a lot faster!
I think the only side effect that I had (and I'm not even positive it was because of the medication) was extremely, extremely bad menstrual cramps a few days after I started taking it. I've always had very, very bad cramps, but these were so bad that I almost fainted and could hardly breathe. I was throwing up and sweating and shaking, and my skin turned gray until the pain went away. It was terrible, but I haven't had them like that since then, so I'm glad!!
I would definitely recommend this! It has helped me so much!!
September 18, 2011
Pros:
I used to get painful red pimples but this medication has helped reduce swelling and I can touch my face anywhere without pain! (when I wash my face)
My skin is starting to clear up and my acne scars are becoming lighter
Less breakouts
Cons:
feeling of sea sickness
diarrhoea
troubles sleeping? I have been having a lot of odd dreams since taking this medication
NOTE: I only started feeling the sickness yesterday, I was fine for two weeks, so it could just be the flu!
I have been on this medication for 2 weeks now, my acne is improving but it is improving slowly. Just yesterday I started to feel sick, I had diarrhoea but in solid form? I went to the washroom around 6 times, each of which letting out big logs which is way over my average of bowel movements, followed by one this morning. On top of that I felt a kind of sea sickness and actually ended up vomiting at night. Im going to keep taking it to see what happens, if these symptoms keep occurring I will stop. I am taking 200mg a day. SO overall it works, but has crappy side effects (pun intended) :) There is nothing wrong with trying out something different so go ahead and take minocycline and see if it works for you!
September 18, 2011
Product used: Solodyn (Oral Antibiotic)
Pros:
It Works Right Away
One Pill Can Take it with or without food :)
Cons:
None just that you can't lay down for 30 min.
Okay so i am 17, i had clear skin only had like 2-3 pimples at the most on my face at one time. In the summer i broke out REALLY BAD. i was covered in deep painful pimples on my cheeks, chin and forehead, :(. i went to my family doctor and prescibed me a bunch of stuff, which none worked, so he sent me to a derm. the derm prescirbed me Solodyn 65 mg, and i have to say i was a bit skeptical. but now 2 months later my face is clear and looks healthy, i still have the occasional pimple but not as bad they were before. now im just a lil nervous of coming off this stuff! :/
September 16, 2011
Product used: Solodyn (Oral Antibiotic)
Pros:
Cleared up acne
Cons:
Joint pain, headaches, muscle pain, weakness, fatigue, swelling
When I was prescribed the medication I found it worked well it cleared up my acne but I began to have muscle and joint pain, weakness, fatigue, swelling after going to the doctor I found that I had drug induced lupus from the medication. Although rare it was quite unpleasant and I will never take that medication again. But my experience is a very rare outcome.
Pros:
Prevents Breakouts